Indoor air quality monitoring sensors for the design of a simple, low cost, mobile e-nose for real time victim localization

Abstract

An apparatus and the methodology for evaluating the suitability of selected sensors to be utilized in an electronic nose (e-nose) for human detection, is presented. Air quality monitoring sensor devices that are simple to operate, low cost and readily available were tested in an apparatus capable of preparing, storing and manipulating air samples. Suitably prepared air samples were captured and measured with the apparatus emulating the conditions anticipated in the target application, i.e the detection of humans in confined and poorly ventilates spaces during Urban Search and Rescue Operations. Currently an e-nose system that is under development, adopted the architecture finalized by the presented work, and is intended to be used during the Assessment, Search and Rescue (ASR) 4 stage of a USaR operation as part of the sensor payload of a remotely controlled robot that enters the rubble of collapsed structures searching for trapped victims.